SUBMIT TO GOD’S ESCAPE PLAN 1 Corinthians 10:13 (ASV) There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it. In a culture filled with moral depravity and sin-induced pressures, Paul encourages the Corinthian believers to hold on to God and trust Him to bring them through whatever circumstances they may encounter – and to bring them out with victory. There are three very important things Paul told them as an encouragement for those times they faced temptations. 1. Temptations come to everyone, so we shouldn’t feel as though we have been singled out when they come our way. 2. Others who have tempted resisted those temptations – and you can too. 3. All temptations can be resisted because God will show us a way out. . God aids us resisting temptations by helping us (1) recognize the people and situations that give us trouble; (2) run from everything we know to be wrong or opposed to His will and purpose for our life; (3) chose to do only what is right; (4) pray and seek God for help especially in times of need; (5) seek friends who love God and can offer help when we are tempted. Turning and fleeing from a tempting situation is the first step on our way to victory. Flee from youthful passions. Instead, pursue righteousness, faithfulness, love, and peace together with those who call on the Lord with a pure heart. Dont have anything to do with foolish and stupid discussions, because you know they breed arguments. 2 Timothy 2:22-23 (ISV) Escape of some kind is usually the most tempting solution to our problems. In fact, this attitude can become a habit Hagar was a person who used that approach. When the going got tough, she usually got going – in the opposite direction. Like many of us, it appears that the biggest challenges Hagar faced were brought on by other people’s choices. Sarah chose her to bear Abraham’s child, and she probably had very little to say, if anything, in the mater. Hagar’s pregnancy caused her to look down her nose at Sarah, her mistress, which in turn brought on some hard feeling consequently resulting in her being punished by Sarah. These feeling are what motivated or resulted in her first escape. When directed by God to return to the family, she gave birth to Ishmael, Sarah’s continual barrenness contributed to the bitterness on both sides. When Isaac was finally born, Sarah looked for an excuse to have Hagar and Ishmael sent away. She found her excuse when she caught Ishmael taunting and teasing Isaac. As opposed to trusting God to work things out, Hagar pulled her escape act again. In the wilderness, out of water and facing the death of her son, Hagar once again tried to escape. She walk away so that she wouldn’t have to watch her son die. However, once again, God graciously intervened. Have you noticed how patiently God operates to make sure that all of our escape attempts fail? Have you begun to learn that escape is only a temporary solution that really doesn’t work at all? God’s continual desire is that we face our problems WITH HIS HELP. We experience His help most clearly in and through conflicts and difficulties, not by running away from them. Are there situations in your life where you have been using the “Hagar Solution”? What you need to do is to choose one of those problems, ask God to help you, and begin to face it today. • Hagar’s greatest weakness was when she was faced with a problem, she tended to run away – as opposed to giving it to God and waiting for Him to work it out. The Word of God tells us that we will have not just some afflictions, but many affliction – however, God promised us that He will deliver us out of them all. He tells us that there is no weapon that is formed against us that will prosper, and that even when the enemy comes in as a flood, His Spirit will raise us a standard against it. The greater one is in us, and because God is for us, He is more than the world against us. It’s imperative that we remember that God has a plan for us – a plan that is meant for our good – a plan that guarantees us a future and hope. • God is faithful to His plan and promises, even when people try to complicate the process. • God shows Himself as One who knows us and wants to be known by us. • In the New Testament uses Hagar as a symbol of those who would pursue favor with God by their own efforts, rather than by trusting in His mercy and forgiveness. The Word of God tells us that there is a way that seems right to man – but the end of that way is death. What we need to do is to forsake our ways and purpose to walk in agreement with then Word of God as we follow the leading of His Spirit. Genesis 16:9, “the angel of the Lord said to her, return to your mistress, and submit to her authority.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Nov 2014 03:41:45 +0000
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